1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicle alarm systems and communication means therewith. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a new key fob and security system for a vehicle in which a user can receive and interpret a security event occurring with the owner's vehicle when the owner is not nearby the same. The owner and user of the key fob can take action to disable the vehicle prior to heading back to the vehicle to inspect the vehicle after the event.
All vehicle owners are aware of the risks of leaving a vehicle unoccupied for long periods of time in a public space. The vehicle is subject to the failings of other drivers, would be thieves, and other members of the public who may not be looking out for the condition of another's vehicle. Because of this all motor vehicles include a locking mechanism to secure the vehicle, and most modern vehicles include some form of security system. Manufacturer-installed and aftermarket security systems monitor certain parameters of the vehicle when parked, locked, and not operating such that an alert is created when the vehicle state changes without authorization. The level of sophistication of these alarm systems varies greatly across the industry and thus varies in effectiveness.
Most commonly available alarm systems monitor the position of the door locks and the ignition state when the vehicle alarm is engaged. More sophisticated systems monitor for changes in momentum of the vehicle and monitor for the sound of broken glass, whereby collisions with the vehicle and window break-ins are respectively monitored. While these alarm systems provide a means to monitor the vehicle, most fail in the means in which the alarm alerts the vehicle owner in the event of an alarm trigger. Most alarms initiate an audible alarm signal from the parked vehicle when the alarm is triggered, which is audible within a given range and used for the purposes of drawing attention to a would-be thief or a vehicle collision. This form of notice is useful for employing public awareness to deter break-ins in the open; however, they fail to alert the vehicle owner when not in audible range of the vehicle.
Vehicle owners are most concerned with three major types of events related to an unoccupied vehicle: vehicle theft, vehicle vandalism, and collisions with other objects or motorists while parked (i.e. shopping carts, door dings, and vehicle collisions). The present invention contemplates a new and novel system that utilizes modern communications networks to provide a user with a means of monitoring the status of a parked vehicle when the vehicle is left unoccupied and the user is not in audible or visual range. The present invention is a system that utilizes existing vehicle alarm technology (door lock position, vehicle ignition status, motion monitoring, broken glass monitoring, etc.) and provides a dual network means of communication with a distant user. Notably, the system employs both a GPS antenna and a cellular antenna for communicating with the user across the two respective networks. Specifically, the system provides a communications means using a given protocol, which sends signals between the vehicle and the user using a digital signal via telecommunications (cellular) network and a space-based satellite navigation system (GPS).
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to vehicle alarms and means of communicating a vehicle alarm state to a distant vehicle owner. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications, and generally relate to a GPS based system or a cellular based system, wherein the drawbacks of both are incorporated into the system. The present invention utilizes both systems such that the vehicle owner is ensured connection with the vehicle alarm system independent of the vehicle location (except for rare instances), wherein the capabilities of the two networks are used in conjunction and their overlapping coverage is capitalized upon. The GPS network is used in more open, rural areas, while the cellular network is used in more populated and covered areas. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
One such device in the prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 7,151,441 to Chen, which discloses a vehicle burglar alarm system that utilizes global positioning system (GPS) technology to recognize when the vehicle alarm has been triggered or when an abnormal status event has occurred. The system utilizes a first and second flag to track the location of a vehicle by GPS even when the vehicle is parked in a location without a GPS signal (i.e. in an underground or covered garage). When the system recognizes the GPS signal is no longer available, the position of the vehicle is registered. If the alarm is triggered and the GPS system detects a signal once more, the system determines that the vehicle is being moved without authorization and alerts the owner. The Chen system, while providing a means of tracking a vehicle that is integrated into an alarm system, fails to anticipate the use of a cellular network communications protocol to continually communicate with an alarm system key fob carried by the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,142,096 to Eisenman discloses an improved GPS device having a radio transmitter portion for both opening and locking a vehicle, and further for triggering a car alarm using the GPS network. The device comprises a housing that resembles a key fob, wherein a GPS antenna is disposed within the device and coordinates with the security system of the vehicle. The normal radio control functions of the key fob remain the same as those present in the art, however the GPS capability allows the security system to be triggered or interacted with at great distances from the vehicle. The Eisenman device is very similar in concept to the present invention; however the present invention contemplates the use of a cellular network. A cellular network is functional in covered parking areas such as garages and in metropolitan areas, whereas a GPS system relies on line of sight with a GPS satellite for functionality. The Eisenman device is more suited for open spaces and in more rural areas, while the present invention is more suited for populated areas where car theft may be a more prominent problem.
Similar to the Eisenman device is U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0176159 to Chu, which discloses a wireless vehicle alarm system that utilizes a GPS network to provide inputs to a remote vehicle owner and to record the current position of the vehicle. As with Eisenman, the Chu device is not well suited for urban areas or for those times in which a vehicle is parked in a sheltered location. The present invention is presented as an alternative a system such as this, wherein line of sight to a GPS satellite is not required for proper operation. Specifically, a cellular network is utilizes to communicate occurrences between a vehicle and a distance owner.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,956,467 to Mercado, Jr. discloses a vehicle alarm that comprises a main controller for deciphering a plurality of inputs from the vehicle and from the vehicle alarm system. A communication means is provided that includes an automatic dialer, wherein a phone call is made to a wireless device on a key fob. A transceiver on the key fob allows a vehicle owner to recognize an event with respect to the vehicle alarm and to take action in the form of sounding the audible annunciator of the vehicle alarm. The Mercado, Jr. device further includes a means to disable the vehicle by applying the brakes or shutting down the fuel pump relay of the vehicle. The Mercado, Jr. device, while providing an automatic dialer, fails to provide the dual network capability provided herein.
Finally, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0262853 to Bradus discloses a vehicle alarm that includes a sensor module configured to monitor the status of a vehicle, wherein the sensor module provides a notification via a notification module to a user using either a wired or wireless communication means. The present invention relates to a system utilizing a first and second wireless network that switches between the networks when one is unavailable when contacting the vehicle owner. A vehicle alarm event is communicated via a cellular network and tracks the vehicle therewith, while the GPS network is utilized when the cellular network is unavailable.
Overall, the present invention provides a means of tracking a vehicle (in the event of theft or for relocation of the same in a parking lot) and a means of communicating the state of a vehicle alarm to a distant user using a first and second network that communicates to a handheld key fob device. It is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing vehicle alarm communication systems. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.